Mailing piece including return envelope forming portion



2,872,100 MAILING mos mewnmc RETURN ENVELOPE FORMING PORTION Fi 1ed Aug. 2. 1954 H. B. COFFIN Feb. 3, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet F l G 6 Feb. 3, 1959 I H. B. COFFIN 2,872,100 MAILING PIECE} INCLUDING RETURN ENVELOPE FORMING PORTION Filed Aug. 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 27 1?. 70 62 r 1 1 I INVENTOR.

- Mazes l3, (OFF/u MAILING PIECE INCLUDING RETURN ENVELOPE FORMING PORTION Harry B. Collin, Oakdale, Conn.

Application August 2, 1954, Serial No. 447,137

6 Claims. (Cl. 229-921) 7 now abandoned.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a business form or circular or letter which can be folded in one manner to mail to the customer, and which may be readily prepared by the customer by the tearing off of perforated edgesto provide a return form and envelope having gummed flap areas by which the folded form may be sealed so as to constitute a return envelope. Such an envelope can be completely sealed so that it may be utilized to hold a check or money order. The original letter or form is a rectangular sheet without projecting tabs or other irregularities, so that it can be readily fed through a printing press and printed with the desired message. No die cutting is required, but only simple perforated lines, score lines and gummed areas or spots are placed on the form. These are applied to the sheet preferably before the printing. In preferred forms of the invention the folding of the sheet both for first and second mailings is made at designated locations, the same fold lines being used without reversal of direction for both mailings.

It is an object of the invention to provide a combination circular and reply blank and return envelope enostructed in such a manner as to facilitate printing thereon in any of the usual processes and by any of the ordinary printing procedures such as l-on, 2-on, 3-on, 4-on, 6-on and 8-on, either work-and-turn or not as desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the description of certain embodiments thereof shown to illustrate the principles of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the front or inside face of a sheet or blank embodying one form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the sheet partly folded into condition for first mailing;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the sheet unfolded and showing the side strips detached to prepare the sheet for second mailing;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the sheet partially folded in preparation for second mailing;

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the sheet after folding for second mailing, but before turning over the sealing flaps;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the flaps turned over and sealed ready for second mailing;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a modified form of the mailing sheet or blank; 1

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the sheet shown in Fig. 7 partly folded for first mailing;

Figure 9 is a similar view showing a further stage in the folding;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a modified form of sheet partly folded;

Figure 11 is a similar view showing a further stage in the folding of the sheet shown in Fig. 10;

Figures 12 and 13 are plan views of other modified forms of mailing sheets or blanks embodying the invention;

Figure 14 is a detail plan view on an enlarged scale showing a part of one side of the mailing sheet;

Figure 15 is a plan of a removable periodical or catalogue insert sheet having a detachable return envelope portion;

Figure 16 is a similar view of a modified form of insert sheet; and

Figure 17 is a plan view of a modified form of mailing piece which may be used as an invoice sheet or the like.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly tothe form of invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 and 14, the sheet or blank comprises a single piece of paper which is divided by fold lines 10 and 11 into three panels 13, 15 and 17. On the face of all three panels of the sheet,

the letter, invoice, advertisement, order blank or other message to be carried, is printed, typed or written. On the back of one of the panels, in the form shown on the top panel 13, is a designated space for the address of first mailing, such space being indicated at 19 in Fig. 2. On the back of the panel 17 is a designated space 21 for the address on remailing (see Figs. 2 and 4). Parallel toeach longitudinal edge of the sheet is a perforated line 23, these lines of perforation extending entirely along panels 13 and 15 and turning outwardly to the edges of the sheet. Preferably the lines of perforation extend a little way into panel 17 and terminate in curved portions 25 which curve outwardly to the edges of the sheet. These lines of perforation permit the edge portions of the sheet, 27, to be torn off, as shown in Fig. 3, and owing to the formation of curves 25 each of these edge por-- tions may be torn off with a single continuous tearing operation. When such edge portions are torn off it will be seen that the panel 17 is provided with laterally eX- tending tongues or sealing flaps 29. Score lines 30 are preferably provided to facilitate the folding over of these flaps. These tongues are preferably gummed. These score lines are closer to the edge of the sheet than the straight part of the perforated lines to facilitate folding down of the gummed flaps and to secure maximum adhesive action when the gum is moistened. Also the score lines leave spaces 30a between their ends and the curved perforations to prevent any tendency of the tearing to depart from the perforated track or curve.

The upper corners of the edge portions 27 may be provided with gummed spots 31 (Fig. l). The gum may be applied to the flap areas by spot gumming, or if desired the entire margins of the 'sheet including the flaps 29 may be provided with a strip of gum. In either event, when the edge portions are torn off projecting gummed flaps 29 will be left.

The central panel 15 is preferably made slightly deeper between lines 11 and 10 than the panels 15 and 17, so that such panels may be folded over on the center panel without forming a projecting edge.

As shown at 32 there is also a gummed strip along the bottom of the sheet at the same end as the two flaps which project after the side strips are removed. This is for use, if desired, as an additional safety feature, by the user of the reply envelope portion.

It will be seen that the sheet as originally formed is a rectangle without projecting tabs or irregularities of any kind, so that it may be run through a printing press and handled by any type of ordinary sheet-feeding mechanism.

In use the blank sheets are first run through the press and are printed with any desired message or form. The mailer then folds up the lower panel 17 along the line 11),

then panel 13 along the line 11 down over the lower panel, as shown in Fig. 2. The mailing piece is then addressed in the space 19 and is ready for mailing or it ma if desir d, be sealed by sticking down the gummed corners 31 or in any other suitable manner, as by application of a pre-cancelled stamp or a folded sticker over the lower edge. The recipient of the letter breaks whatever seal or seals are used, if any, unfolds the letter and has the message before him. He then fills out on the face of the letter whatever data are required of him, and then tears off the two strip portions on the perforated lines. then has a sheet which may be folded into a sealed envelope and returned to the address of second mailing. To form the envelope, he simply folds down the upper panel 13 and folds up the lower panel 17, thus producing the conditions shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 5 which is the reverse side of Fig. 4. If he desires to enclose a check or money order or other enclosure, he slips this into the partly formed envelope over panel 15. If the gummed strip 32 is to 'be sealed, this is then moistened and pressed down and finally the end flaps 29 are folded and sealed down, thus producing the closed and sealed envelope, as shown in Fig. 6. The letter is then ready to mail to the address on the back of panel 17, such address usually being printed at point 21 at the time the circular is prepared. During the first mailing such address is covered by the panel 13 which usually bears the address of first mailing, although such address may be placed on the back of panel 15. The panel also covers indicia 130 indicating prepayments of the return postage if such is used. On the second mailing the address of first mailing is concealed by the lower panel 17. On both mailings the other side of the envelope is represented by the back of the central panel if the address surface is on back of panel 13, or the other side of the envelope is the back of panel 13 if it is addressed for the first mailing on back of panel 15. This may be printed with an advertisement or other message, if desired. It will be observed that in the preferred form of the invention illustrated, the right hand perforated line, as shownin Figs. 1, 2 and 3, runs to the left of the postage stamp, metered postage, or indicia of the prepayment of the postage 13a shown in the right hand upper corner of panel 13, so that when the strip along the right hand side of the sheet is removed, the stamp or other postage payment indication is removed from the reply envelope portion, thereby meeting postal regulations. It is not possible to produce a reply envelope with flaps sealed over the edges unless these two strips are removed.

It will be noted that in the sheet shown, when folded for first mailing, the gum spots 31, if used, will overlie the curved corners of the side strips 27 so that if they are used to seal the parts during first mailing, they will adhere to such corners. After the sheet has been unfolded, when the strips 27 are torn off this will also remove the gum spots and the places on the strips where the spots were stuck down, so that there will be no marred area of the sheet and envelope when it is mailed a second time.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the mailing piece is provided with an extra panel 36 in addition to the panels 13, 15 and 17, as in the form of sheet already described. This panel 36 is removable, so that it may be retained by the recipient as in the case of an announcement, bill, or invoice, it preferably being separable from the end of the panel 13 along a perforated line 33. When the addressee prepares to remail the mailing piece. he first tears off the panel 36 and then tears off the edge portions 27 and folds the panels 13, 15 and .17 and seals the return envelope with the flaps 29, as in the previously described construction.

Figures 10 and 11 show a modification of the form of mailing piece shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. This modification consists of an additional panel 36a provided along the edge of panel 36 and folded along a fold line 3612. This gives a larger sheet or double panel which may be detached and retained by the recipient before remailing the other portion of the sheet. It will be seen that the panel portions 36 and 360 may be folded into the mailing piece between panels 13 and 15 along with panel 17. Or, the piece may be folded in a different way, such as an over-and-over fold, making all folds in the same direction. Additional panel sections may be used as required.

Fig. 12 shows a combination circular and reply portion comprising two areas 51 and 52, area 51 being folded along fold line 54 separating it from area 52. Along the left hand edge of area 52 is a perforated line 55 which has an offset portion 56 coinciding with the score line 54 and connected to the perforated portion 55 by the curved perforated portion 57. This permits the page 52 to be torn off along these combined perforated lines so as to provide the lower panel of page 52 with a tab 58 which is preferably gummed. The outer edge of area 52 is provided with a curved perforated line 23 similar to the perforated lines described in connection with Figs. 1 to 6, so that when the strip 27 is torn off a gummed tab 29 will be left. The area 52 may be folded and sealed as a reply message and envelope with the tabs 58 and 29, and if desired also with gummed edge 56a.

Figure 13 shows another arrangement somewhat similar to that shown in Fig. 12, except that a broadside may be provided combining four areas 60, 62, 64 and 66 which may be folded first on horizontal fold lines 68 and 74, then on vertical fold line 70, after which the panels may be folded along the horizontal lines 72 and 72a. The page 66 can be detached on the perforated lines 74 and and the edge 27 torn off along the perforated line 23 so as to provide a return sheet and envelope such as has already been described.

Figures 12 and 13, therefore, represent so-called fourpage letter and eight-page broadside styles, respectively. The same design may, of course, be adapted to a six-page letter style, and to other page lengths.

Figure 14 is a blown-up section of the upper and lower portions of the left edge of Fig. 1, in order to show in better detail the use of closely spaced and very short perforations 23a, to aid in starting the tear along perforated line 23, and of similar short perforations at 25b to aid in completing the tear along the curved perforation track at 25. The short perforations, being easier to tear, are thus used only at the start and finish of the curved perforation. The longer perforations, spaced a little further apart, thus stronger and slightly harder to tear, keep the strip 27 firmly attached to the form during the printing, folding, and mailing operations, until the recipient is ready to detach the strip in order to form the reply envelope. The same arrangement is used for strip 27 on the right edge of Figure 1.

Figure 14 also shows the ungummed space left at 73. If the gum were allowed to flow into the perforations along the curved line at 25b and 25, it would tend to fill up the perforations and thus make them hard to detach. Figure 14 also shows the ungurnmed space left at 74 between the gummed area 29 and the score line 30 to aid the recipient of the reply envelope in opening the sealed flap 29 by inserting a pointed knife, or other opening device, into this unsealed aperture. Space 3011 is left between the end of the score line 30 and the curved perforations 25 to prevent any tendency of the straight perforated line 23, curved at 25, when being torn, to jump the track and continue down along the score 30 instead of curving off the sheet, as intended, along track 25 and 25b. The same arrangement is provided for the tear-off strip and resulting projecting flap on the right side of the sheet as here described for the left side.

Figure 15 shows an insert sheet similar to that shown in Fig. 1, except that it is provided with a marginal portion 76 by which it may be bound in a catalogue, periodical, or the like, by side-stitch, saddle-stitch, fiat binding, or other method. The insert sheet may be torn out from Figure 16 shows a modified form of insert usually using less paper than required for the insert shown in Fig. 15. There are only two main panels, 84 and 85, separated by score line 86, plus a bottom gummed flap 87 separated from panel 85 by score line 88. After printing as a rectangular unit, singly or in multiple form, the pile of inserts is trimmed in a paper cutter along the two diagonal score lines 89 and 90, which serve as guides for this trimming. Line v89 passes through the intersection of score lines 98 and 88, line 90 passes through the intersection of score lines 100 and 88. When so trimmed, the bottom flap 87 when folded down for sealing, will not overlap flaps 97 and 99.

The reader of the periodical or catalogue can, for example, fill out an order form, usually placed on the lower part of the panel 85, below the advertising offer on panel 84 and on the upper part of panel 85. He then detached the bound-in form from the booklet along straight perforation 91, curving at 92 to continue as a straight perforation 93 off the bottom of the insert at the diagonal-cut edge 39, thus making the gummed flap 97 project. He removes flap 94 at the right side by tearing along perforation 95, which curves off the right edge of the insert at 96. A check or money order, for example, may be inserted, and the reply envelope completely sealed by simply folding down on score 86, then sealing down the three projecting flaps 97, 87 and 99, in any sequence.

An approved style of business reply envelope form may be printed on the back of panel 85 as the address for the reply envelope. Advertising matter may also appear on back of panel 84. This insert may be bound in by saddle-stitch, side-stitch, fiat binding, ring binding, or other methods. The area to the left of flap 97 can be trimmed to suitable width, after printing, depending on the binding method to be used. If saddle-stitched, the insert can be folded on score line 100a and stitched at the fold. Or, the insert can be side-stitched parallel to the left edge of the insert as shown at 1001:.

Figure 17 shows a modified form of announcement, bill, or invoice, usually requiring less paper than used in the style shown in Fig. 7. This uses the same principal of diagonal trims, made after printing as a rectangular sheet, as explained for Fig. 16 above. Three main panels are used: 101, 102, and 103. There is also a bottom gummed flap 104, separated from panel 103 by score line 105. A perforation 87 is used to separate panel 101 from panel 102. After printing the two sides of this self-mailing device, and after trimming along score lines 106 and 107, the bottom flap 104 is folded up on score line 105, then the fold is made at line 110, and panel 10.1. then covers it when folded along perforation 87.

The recipient opens the piece by breaking a seal placed over the bottom edge 110 as mailed, or by opening at the corner gummed spots 31, which may be used if desiredif the piece is sealed at all. He then reads and detaches panel 101 along perforation 87 to retain as an announcement, advertising offer, bill, statement or other form. When the side strip 115 is detached along perforation 108, which curves off the left side, and the other side strip 116 is detached along perforation 109 which curves off the right side, the gummed flaps 111 and 113 then project ready for sealing down, after re-folding the reply form at line 110 and folding the score lines 112 and 114 to form the two flaps.

The address for the first mailing may be placed on back of either panel 101 or 102. If the back 102 is used, the postage or indicia should be placed to the right of the right-hand perforation on the address surface. The

address for the reply envelope portion may be printed on the back of panel 103. It is thus completely covered when the piece is first used for the outgoing mailer.

While I have illustrated and described in detail certain preferred forms of my invention, it is to be understood that changes may be made, therein and the invention embodied in other structures." I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to the specific constructions illustrated,

but intend to cover my invention broadly in whatever form its principle may be embodied. I

What I claim is:

1. A mailing piece comprising a rectangular sheet of paper having straight unbroken edges and foldable into three panels of substantially equal width, each wide enough to receive a mailing address and postal payment indicia, at least two of said panels being provided with such indicia; lines of perforations extending near and parallel to opposite side edges of said sheet from one end edge of thesheet for a distance of approximately twothirds of the length of the sheet, and then turned gradually outwardly through the top portion of the bottom third of the sheet so as to intersect the side edges of the sheet at a point below the top of the lower third thereof, thereby providing tear-ofi strips which may be torn from the edges of the sheet by continuous tearing operations, leaving unperforated tab portions projecting at the edges of,

the lower third of the sheet, said tab portions being gummed on the face of the sheet, and the lower edge of the face of the sheet between said tab portions having a gummed strip thereon, there being score lines extending longitudinally of the lower third of the sheet, said score lines providing aids for the folding of the gummed tabs, said score lines terminating short of the lines of the perforations so as to leave spaces between the upper ends of said score lines and said lines of perforation.

2. A mailing piece as claimed in claim 1 in which the score lines are nearer the edges of the sheet than the straight portions of the lines of perforation, and in which the gumming on the tabs is narrower than the widths of the tabs, so as to leave spaces between the gummed areas and said score lines.

3. A mailing piece comprising a rectangular sheet of paper having straight unbroken edges and foldable into three panels of substantially equal width, each wide enough to receive a mailing address and postal payment indicia, at least two of said panels being provided with such indicia; lines of perforations extending near and parallel to opposite side edges of said sheet from one end edge of the sheet for a distance of approximately two-thirds of the length of the sheet, and then outwardly through the top portion of the bottom third of the sheet so as to intersect the side edges of the sheet at a point below the top of the lower third thereof, thereby providing tear-off strips which may be torn from the edges of the sheet by continuous tearing operations, leaving unperforated tab portions projecting at the edges of the lower third of the sheet, said tab portions being gummed on the face of the sheet, there being score lines extending longitudinally of the lower third of the sheet, the gummed areas on said tab portions extending from the outer edges of the sheet, but terminating at a distance from said score lines so as to leave ungummed strips on the tab portions adjacent to said score lines.

4. A mailing piece comprising arectangular sheet of paper having straight unbroken edges and foldable into three panels of substantially equalwidth, each wide enough to receive a mailing address and postal payment indicia, at least two of said panels being provided with such indicia; lines of perforations extending near and parallel to opposite side edges of said sheet from one end edge of the sheet for a distance of approximately two-thirds of the length of the sheet, and then turned outwardly through the top portion of the bottom third of the sheet so as to intersect the side edges of the sheet at a point below the top of the lower third thereof, thereby providing tear-off gen strips which may be torn from the edges of the sheet by continuous tearing operations, leaving unperforated tab portions projecting at the edges of the lower third of the sheet, said tab portions being gummed on the face of the sheet, there being score lines extending longitudinally of the lower third of the sheet, the gum-med areas on said tab portions terminating below and slightly spaced from the outwardly turned portions of the lines of perforation.

5. A mailing piece as claimed in claim 4 in which the perforations at the beginning and-end of the respective lines of perforations are placed closer together than the perforations throughout the remainder of said lines.

6. A mailing piece comprising a rectangular sheet of paper including a return envelope portion divided by parallel fold lines into three panels of nearly the same width, the center panel being slightly wider than the end panels, lines of perforations extending near and parallel to opposite edges of the return envelope portion across two of the panels and curved outwardly at the edges of the return envelope portion into and below adjacent corners of the third panel so as to provide tear-ofi strips which may be torn oil from the edges of the return envelope portion by continuous tearing operations leaving unperforated tab portions at the edges of the return envelope portion at the ends of the third panel, said tab portions being gummed on the face of the sheet, the back of the end panel remote from the panel having the tabs thereon providing a space for the address of first mailing, the perforated tear-01f strip at one side of said panel carrying a postal payment indicia or stamp which will be References Gted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 185,489 Buzby Dec. 19, 1876 229,202 Cox May 27, 1884 1,260,935 Moore Mar. 26, 1918 1,280,723 Harris Oct. 8, 1918 1,344,071 Webster June 22, 1920 1,479,280 Brown Jan. 1, 1924 1,803,704 Hardie May 5, 1931 2,549,199 Hodska Apr. 17, 1951 2,773,638 Krohn Dec. 11, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain 1902 

